Momentum ll The Flash ll Ezra Miller
by Lots of Sun
Summary: The Flash ll Ezra Miller ll Living the boring life of a Gotham premed student, Willow Hutchinson's life gets put into the fast lane the moment she has an accidental run in with The Flash. Just an ordinary girl surrounded by extraordinary people, Willow realized she's in love with Barry Allen. Willow must face the choice of staying in her safe world, or taking a chance on The Flash
1. 001

" Willow, go home. "

A twenty seven year old doctor stared blankly at poorly lit vending machine that was in the Accident and Emergency ward's break room. Faint, dark circles had formed underneath her eyes as she had continued her double shifts, day after day, for nearly a week straight. Her fading eyes caught sight of a still viable container of orange juice within the contents of the vending machine, **jackpot**.

The voice pleaded again from behind her, this time becoming louder, and more pushy. A cold hand extended forwards, touching Willows shoulder, prompting her to temporarily go into the real world. Willow turned to see an upset young woman, to whom she'd developed a close relationship to. The vibrant red head stared at her with a tough glare and thin, strained lips. She had repeated herself a few times, before becoming impatient enough to physically touch her colleague.

" Meryl, I'm fine. "

Willow pressed, forcing a small smile onto her face, before turning back to the machine. She paid for the drink, and left the room. The temperamental red head was hot on her heels, her red hair pulled up into a messy, bumpy bun. The young doctor herself, looked exhausted, but was pleading with her friend to go home. Finally the two of them stopped abruptly in their tracks, only conversing once more before Willow finally decided to call it a night.

" Honestly, you're going to run yourself into the ground, and then who do I have? **Eric**? "

Willow smiled, grinning from ear to ear as she choked out a short, abrupt laugh. The two of them looked over to the nurses station to see a young male doctor, who could barely put on a pair of sterile gloves. Who had **also** , on occasion, misdiagnosed patients and recently, had nearly operated on the wrong person.

" You're so bossy.. "

Playfully she mocked her friend, making sure to look back to see Maeryl's waning face. Willow smiled and shot Meryl a coy look, finishing her juice before taking one last look at the Emergency Room.

" I'm good here, if you stay any longer you won't wake up until your next shift on Wednesday and what's the point of that? " Meryl paused and took a deep breath, speaking out of exhaustion and honesty, " Go out, find a cute man and bring him home. For me, **please** , someone needs to get some around here. "

Willow nodded silently and winked at her friend before finishing up her reports and eventually leaving the E.R. She'd spent nearly sixteen hours in the Emergency Room, and was practically a walking corpse. She was ready for some deep sleep in a dark, quiet room.

Willow walked along a quiet sidewalk just a block outside the hospital's entrance. Her tired feet barely left the ground as she shuffled along, too tired to notice the crowd of people emerge from the block, and begin to shift the opposite way. Everything was so cloudy to her.

They don't tell you enough about the emotional toll that being a doctor can cause. They prepare you for the medical aspect of nearly everything, the warning signs for different illnesses and the way you're supposed to heal a patient. But the emotional shit you carry with you? They don't teach you how to heal yourself. Mothers who had tried to kill themselves, children who had been shot or older citizens who had decided to take their own lives rather than burden anyone else, she'd only been a "doctor" for a short time, but Willow had seen more than enough. The nightmares of having to resuscitate a young child or remembering how **fucking long** it takes to get blood off of your skin after it had set for more than just a few minutes, everything accumulated over time that she'd been exposed to, she wished she could just let it roll off her shoulders.

But she couldn't.

Her peers had told her that having that empathy towards people had made her a better doctor, more caring and thoughtful. The type of doctor you want to have, but in all reality, she wished she was more like the rest. **She didn't want to carry this shit around.**

Being busy was all that she really had for right now, Gotham General hadn't been her first pick, but the pay was much better than the surrounding cities, and it was rumored that if you can survive in the hospitals in Gotham, **you can survive anywhere.**

She'd interned at a few other hospitals, Central City, Coast City and Midway as well. All were wonderful, but for some fucking reason, some **bat-shit** crazy reason, she'd decided on Gotham. She was so sure of herself when she'd first come her almost six months ago, but now, she was beginning to let the weight of the job get to her. Maybe Star City would have been a better place, she'd heard it was dingy like Gotham, but with better people. Maybe someday.

It was almost three am, and for most people, this wasn't the best time to be out in the open. Gotham was known for housing degenerates and criminals, and they all liked to come out at night. But the young doctor was tired and in her own world. She had on a light jacket and struggled slightly with the small bag that hung of off her arm. Willow's luminous green eyes caught the lights from the flickering fluorescent street light above, showing a fire that she was sure had left her. A late night bus rolled up to her stop, and with a small, happy sigh, she smiled at the slowing bus. The tall extended door to the bus opened and she was greeted by a Bus driver who paid her only a moments notice before looking ahead of him at the road.

She was halfway home.

She was almost there, **almost home.** Willow went to step up onto the bus when there was a small explosion shock that went through Gotham's streets. There was a shrill shake against the pavement that was underneath her flats, prompting her to nearly fall forwards into the entrance of the bus. She barely caught herself, her flat palms catching the sides of the door and holding her weight steady until she was ready to push herself back up.

Her tired body was flushed with a temporary dose of adrenaline, and as she looked all around her, she noticed that there was a small panic brewing in the streets.

" **You** gettin' on or not, lady?! "

The Bus driver yelled down at the young woman who was strewn between the side walk and the bus. Willow's mind raced as she pushed herself up. She needed to get on this bus, and she needed to get home. What ever was going on would inevitably get worse, and she was too tired, **too** fucking-far beyond the point of tired, to deal with anyone else's shit.

But this little knick at the back of her conscious made her hesitate. With wide green eyes, she looked up to the driver for a moment, as though asking him to make the decision for her.

And unfortunately for her, **he did**.

The driver started the bus back up and startled the young woman off of the doors to the bus, the driver closed them and drove away without her.

Willow stood at an absolute standstill. Each breath she took seemed to take more and more out of her, as she looked around her, realizing that there was something burning in the distance. Her fight or flight instinct took over and her body began to move on its own, unfortunately for her, it was moving in the direction of the burning buildings, rather than away from them.

There were a few screaming people gathered out in front of her, small crowds of Gotham's citizens were huddling together in terror and awe as another explosion went off, this one louder, and stronger than the last. She had to temporarily lean against a street post to keep her balance, but within a few moments the shockwave was over.

Willow rushed past more people, some pleading for her help as some others became separated from their families. The distasteful, dreary lights of the city's streets weren't enough to provide ay real guidance to the citizens, which put them further into panic. The early morning sun hadn't begun to peek its warm rays over the city, and until then, the city was going to be a clusterfuck. She couldn't help but look over her shoulder for a moment and stare off into the distance behind her, knowing how absolutely busy the hospital was about to be.

Willow continued through downtown Gotham, faintly hopeful with how little damage was actually done, it appeared that the shakes were superficial, and that nothing too serious had happened. The only real structural damage she had come upon was a large building that was burning down.

The sight was something to see. She was sure that her tired eyes were exaggerating, as she watched as blue and red lightning seemed to be clashing around the burning building, encircling it and clashing at different points along its walls. She stayed a good distance away for a few minutes, watching as people ran past her, some screaming at her to move, but she didn't hear them. Finally Willow began to walk forwards, just 50 yards from the burning tower in downtown Gotham, her eyes fixated on the otherworldly display above her. It wasn't lighting that was fighting, **it was two people.**

Two metahumans were moving so incredibly fast that they appeared to be lightning itself, as she she walked closer, she soon felt her fatigue begin to melt away, as her curiosity overtook all of her senses.

She was absolutely awestruck.

There was an incredible heat and wind that resinated from the burning building, and the closer Willow got, the more illuminated her features became. Her pale skin was warmed by the flickering light of the structure, as her beautiful, bewildered eyes looked on with panic. The flames from the building were practically white hot, screaming and whistling with their own strength. The bright lights from the engulfed building, lit up the entire block, and seemed to draw Willow to it, like a fly to the flame. Her lips gaped slightly, her eyes widened in near hysteria as she continued on towards the danger.

The lighting clashed once more, this time with such force that the ground beneath Gotham shook once more, and the fire at the base of the building was put out in one, **huge-** otherworldly instant. The clash of the lightning sent both of the metahumans in different directions, breaking more buildings and sending what was left of the city block, into shambles.

Willow stopped in her tracks, the young doctor looking all around her, as a sudden scream caused her to nearly fall over. Feverishly she found the source of the scream, while out in the distance spotting a man in a black suit.

" Holy _**shit**_. "

Willow's voice cracked as her exasperated breaths and bewildered eyes could barely contain within her. She watched as the two metahumans fought along the skyline in front of her, while Gotham City's Batman was standing not even a few yards from her. This whole night had turned wild.

The momentum of the entire block went to a startling halt as one of the speeding metahumans was thrusted from one of the buildings and sent into the pavement below. Willow's entire body fell to the ground as the thundering sound of the meta's body connecting with the street, caused a massive quake to shake past her. She fell abruptly, but didn't take her eyes off of the sight in front of her. The meta human with the glowing red lighting vanished quickly, leaving the other presumably dead.

Almost everyone was gone from the street now, aside from her, the vigilante Batman and the gaping hole in the street. She was beginning to catch her breath, taking in all of the sights and sounds around her.

There were car alarms going off in the distance, and the constant sound of sirens was practically nonstop. The street that they were on had street lights a moment ago, but the moment the meta human was thrown into from the building and connected with the street, the entire block had lost power, but was still visible thanks to the surrounding areas.

She breathed out in short, hot breaths, her exhale just barely visible in front of her, as the air in the city had begun to change with the season. Willow had caught her breath, pushing herself onto her feet. She couldn't help but think that she should have run.

She wasn't meant for this kind of saving. Her abilities lied within the hospital, and saving people who had been shot or needed surgery. These people, these meta humans, were on a whole other level.

Instead of running away, she of course, she ran towards the carnage and chaos. That little, hesitant feeling in her stomach was **silent** , the one that normally told her when she needed to be afraid or run.

In the few moments it took her to reach both the man in the bat suit and the crater in the ground, the scene had changed again. She stood, helplessly watching as the Batman had slid down into the crater to grab what ever was left of the meta human that had been forcefully pushed to his/her death

She'd only been in Gotham for half a year, but had yet to see the illusive crime fighter, so seeing him for the first time, this close, was a shock. He was much taller, and much thicker than she'd imagined. There had been stories of how he could fly throughout Gotham, like a bat, fighting criminals and clearing the streets of evil. But, seeing how dense his body mass was now, she was having a harder time believing the rumors.

The Batman used all of his strength to pull the meta from the crumpled hole, and practically threw his limp body across the street and onto the side walk. Willow was frozen for a moment, unsure in her place in all of this. She refused to leave, and as the meta human's body came to a rolling, sullen halt, she finally gained enough courage to approach the two of them.

Willow would like to think she looked professional, brave and maybe a little intimidating when she was in the zone, but in all reality she looked like an anxiety racked mess. She worked feverishly. not thinking of her next move, because her body was already doing it for her. Willow had pushed past the bat masked vigilante, the man seeming shocked, having not noticed the young doctor standing just outside the war zone.

She pulled a small flashlight from her pocket, while she knelt down and tried to take in the situation. The meta human was a male and in red suit. His body was strewn a bit unnatural, which had begun to turn her stomach. She sent a hard glare over her shoulder at the man in the Batsuit, who had so carelessly thrown his injured friend around like a play thing.

" _You're a doctor?! "_

The man in the batsuit had to practically scream over the loud sirens and sounds going off in the distance. His voice was low and distorted, and Willow only nodded, before turning back to face the man who was in need of her help. Her hands worked endlessly, touching the smooth, surprisingly tough surface of his suit, trying to find some kind of seam for an opening.

" I need his suit off- I can't-, " Willow was losing her breath as she was trying to speak, " I can't do anything with him like this. "

The Batman mumbled something loudly to himself, too incoherent for her to understand, but angry nonetheless. It wasn't even half a minute later that a large, military style vehicle flew past them and quickly turned around. The black vehicle was exotic looking, and the moment the vehicle stopped near them, The Batman bent down and scooped up his friend and Willow followed him, as he put the injured meta human into the vehicle.

Willow paused just outside the vehicle, her eyes looking beyond it for just a moment as she tried to process everything that had just happened. She didn't have enough time to let her mind wander, as The Batman was angrily, and impatiently, telling her to get in.


	2. 002

" YOU'RE A DOCTOR, _RIGHT_?! "

A gruff voice spoke loudly, urgently calling to the backseat of the black, sporty vehicle that Willow had voluntarily thrown herself into. She was hunched over, barely able to hold herself up against the smooth, fine fabric of the seats. Willow managed to gasp out some sort of sound, one that sounded close enough to, ' _yes._ '

All of this was almost **too** wild to comprehend.

She was in the backseat of Batman's car **with** The Batman driving, on top of being in the backseat with _The Flash_.. Things like this didn't happen to people like her. She tucked her hair behind her ears, feverishly trying to get a grip in the backseat, so that she could properly determine what type of condition the scarlet speedster was in.

The speed of the car caused the waning street lights to appear as brief flickers of light, adding to the headache that this night had become. She couldn't see the man's condition from the back of the car, and as the car weaved in and out of traffic, she'd accidentally fallen over onto him multiple times, causing him to groan and grunt in distress.

" We've got to get him to the hospital. "

Batman's agitated voice shook through the compact car, leading to further exaserbate Willow's anxiety, her mind racing a million miles an hour as she tried to frantically think of something-anything she could do. The hospital had to be a fucking mad house right now. With three blocks of Gotham being in ruins and scared, shortsighted civilians running around like the entire city was on fire, there wouldn't likely be much room there.

" It's going to be a mad house, wi-with the explosion, " Willow swallowed hard, trying to find any footing as she spoke, her mind scrambling to think, " the hospital is going to be booked up. "

Willow flinched as the car went quickly around another sharp turn, her body heavily fell against the back of the car. She stayed there for a short time, her body becoming more and more fatigued by the moment, as the adrenaline she'd felt from earlier had begun to diminish.

All of the rooms in the ER would be full, as would be the rooms in the critical care unit, the standard wings of the hospital might have a few openings, possibly..

" Th-theres a ward in the East wing that we save for special guests, like the mayor or celebrities, I'm sure that'll be clear.. " Willow's dimming eyes caught an intense light as she began to realize that she could actually help.

She pulled herself up from the backseat, her fingers tightly grasping the tight vinyl seats as she used all of her might to keep herself place.

" Pull around back. "

Willow hurriedly rushed from the car, her body nearly falling forwards as her feet toppled from the compact backseat. She rushed from the car, turning around to see that The Batman had already exited the vehicle and was pulling the limp body of The Flash from the car.

" Just-a fucking second.. "

Willow's words were strained as she breathed them out in one, hard exhale. She only glanced back at the two of them once more before darting towards the back entrance to the hospital and running inside. Willow rushed through the emergency exit, pushing past only a few scarce people, whom she quickly cleared. Willow waited until the hall was cleared of doctors and nurses before turning to open the back door.

She didn't have time to react, standing in front of her, without an ounce of hesitation, was The Batman, shifting uncomfortably as he tried to balance the weight of the body still in his arms. Willow stood flabbergasted for a moment, her lips parted just slightly, still not completely convinced of everything that was happening to her.

" _Jus_ -just put him on the table. "

Willow waved quickly at the medical bed that was at the far corner of the overly spacious room. The suite was designed to be much more luxurious than a normal hospital room, accommodated with cable TV, an on call button that would summon a nurse to your bedside in less than a minute, and a wide, beautiful sliding window with a crisp view of one of Gotham's only forested, residential parks. It was surprisingly nicer than the basic rooms that they kept the normal patients in. Willow flicked on every light switch she could find, gathering any medical supplies that were available in the room she rushed over to the oversized plush bed, nearly dropping everything in her cluttered arms, as she recklessly set them down onto the empty nightstand just adjacent to the bed.

She hadn't notice her breathing slowly become more and more labored, as her watering, strained eyes were blinking more than normal. She didn't notice, but someone else in the room did. The man in the batsuit stood stoically behind her, watching her every move. Ensuring that everything that could be done, would. Willow's chilled fingers were practically numb, and as she fumbled endlessly to try and get The Flash's helmet off, she struggled to even grasp the smooth material that the helmet and faceplate consisted of. The batman had quietly made his way over to the other side of the bed, and had startled her, as he'd reached out to help her take the helmet off.

Willow's frightened eyes pulled up to the man the black suit, the fear in them diminishing slowly, but not fast enough. He could tell that she was rattled, but in all reality, her exhaustion had begun to get the best of her.

The Batman had managed to get off the Red mask, and as the entire piece came off, Willow looked over, not expecting to see a young, handsome man with wild hair and open, calm eyes. Her expression softened some the longer she took in his features. Not in a million years had she expected The Flash, the famous speeding meta human from Central City, to be sitting just in front of her. She half expected him to be some blonde hair, blue eyed captain figure, but to her overwhelming surprise he had black locks of hair, and broad, outlining features. He hadn't shaved in some time, at least thats what she'd assumed by the amount of facial hair he had. His shoulder length, loose, unkempt hair was held back by a thin elastic, and Willow watched silently, as his golden cedar colored eyes matched with hers, neither of them saying a word.

The Vigilante Batman had managed to get The Flash's chest plate off and everything else on his upper torso, all without Willow's help, as both her and the new mystery man were unable to communicate with one another.

" Hey!? S'mbody in there? "

A deep voice shook past the thin, wooden door, and through the room. The door was only loosely locked, and the moment the handle to the door began to jiggle, Willow'd body went into a panic. Willow's body jumped up, her adrenaline spiking as though something had ran through her. She cleared the room and looked back to the two men behind her, determined to solve the problem that was at hand.

In one swift motion she unlocked the door and quickly let herself out, before closing the door behind her.

" Willow, holy shit. "

The doctor's voice was shocked and relieved.

" Thought I was hearing things. "

Willow listened to him and pushed a small, uncomfortable smile. One that would only last a few moments. She glanced over her shoulder as she securely closed the door behind her. The Doctor in question was Dr. Eric Lance, one of the most dull witted men she'd ever come into contact with, so thankfully, whatever excuse she could come up with as to why she was in the room, he'd believe.

" You see I was-"

Willow pushed a few free strands of hair from her face and managed to muster up one of the lamest excuses she could, when she was interrupted by a new face.

" Meryl. "

The pale face and fiery red hair set her aside from most of the staff, and right now, she was the last person Willow had wanted to see. Meryl had quickly become her best friend through the end of medical school, and the two of them had happened to end up at Gotham General together. Meryl, unlike Dr. Dumbass, was very cunning and smart, and would absolutely not believe Willow's bogus story.

" You were supposed to go home over an hour ago, what the hell? "

The perturbed doctor had been up to her neck in vomit and blood, and seeing Willow's face still here, still at the hospital, was about to push her over the edge.

" Why are you still here? "

Meryl pushed at Willow, her pale cheeks beginning to flush with anger as her lips pursed into a thin, angry line. Willow took a deep breath, opening her mouth to at least try and fool the two over tired overnight doctors.

" Willow was in the celebrity suite. "

Eric's comment came out like a bomb, the doctor spoke so quickly and so carelessly, that Willow's lips were left parted in shock. He hadn't even given her a moment to speak.

"The celebrity suite?! Why would you be in there? "

Meryl's look of confusion had seamlessly shifted to agitation. Normally she wouldn't give a flying fuck what Willow was doing, but right now, she was tired, annoyed and covered in other people's bodily fluids.

Willow swallowed hard and closed her mouth, her exhausted body begging to buckle below her.

 _Maybe if I faint.._

Her mind began to run through any scenario it could muster, she couldn't let these two into the room behind her, there was no way. She had to help them. She wouldn't think more into that until much much later in the day tomorrow. Her tired mind was only on a one way street, and right now, it was aimed at saving that young man in the next room.

" Well? "

Meryl's tone was much angrier now, and Willow couldn't believe how completely stumped she was.

There was a sudden shift in the hallway as a hard breeze pushed past Willow, blowing her hair into her face and causing her to shiver. The door behind her opened, and before she could say another word, Meryl's voice screamed loudly from in front of her.

" BRUCE WAYNE!? "

Meryl's high pitched tone made Willow's body snap back, and she felt one of her shoulders knock against the door's frame, while the other was caught by a steady hand. Willow didn't look back for a moment, her body too surprised

By the time her delayed reflexes kicked over, Bruce had moved forwards, insisting that he didn't want to be kept waiting. Meryl and Eric were quick to hurry away, and before she knew what-was-what, she was lead back into the room.

" Fix him. "

Bruce growled from under his breath before clearing his throat and tucking his button down shirt into his pants. Both Bruce and Willow looked behind them to where crimson speedster was laying. Willow's eyes met with his, and without any more hesitation, she nodded to him. Bruce disappeared from the room, intent on keeping the staff busy while she finished up what she had started.

Willow fumbled from one end of the room to the other, her inconsistent steps staggering for a moment, as she gained her footing. Willow pulled her stethoscope from her bag and tried to test his heart beat, but that was pointless. His heart was going to fast that she was barely able to pick it up.

The stranger was in a plain white T and some type of black athletic pants. The closer she grew to him, the more his features set in. Her feet stumbled for a moment as her exhaustion heightened in the quiet room. The man listened to her footsteps, his chin lifting from his chest for a moment, as his body swayed, unable to keep his balance regardless if he was sitting.

The man had some speckled stains on his shirt along his left ribcage, and couldn't stand to save his life. She wasn't sure what was wrong, but she'd do her best.

She didn't have much time to react, as the lumbering man changed his course of direction, and instead of falling backwards onto the bed, he fell forwards towards her. Willow rushed forwards, extending her arms out in an attempt to catch the man before he further hurt himself.

The man had leaned into her for a moment, startling her just slightly. Willow pushed the man back up, and she watched him as he swayed from right to left. The white short sleeved T shirt the man was wearing had flecks of blood that lined his left ribcage, but when she lifted his shirt, she was shocked to find no injury. Willow's hands came up as she began to check the mans pupils.

One of her palms rested against his cheek, while the other used a small flashlight to check for any abnormalities. Willow leaned in some, not noticing the man taking in her features. Her chilled hand touched the side of his jaw, and almost instantly, as if on instinct, his cheek rested into her palm. The silence of the room seemed to only relax her further, as she felt a free hand come up and set against her bare, chilled skin. Her body trembled, sending an uncontrollable wave of tension to sweep up her arm.

Her hands shook for a moment as her fingers rested against the hair along his jaw, and she lost track of what exactly she was doing. She knew there had to be something wrong with him, for him to be acting so strange, and she knew she needed to focus on that.

" You're pupils are pretty dilated, and your, " Willow's voice grew quieter the longer she spoke, as her eyes cautiously met with his. Her voice trailed off for a moment, the only easy solution she could think of right now, was that his blood sugar was possibly low, but that couldn't be it.

The man reached up a free hand, pulling her closer to him. Willow's tired body fell forwards slightly, her body beginning to slightly tremble.

The man's fingers pushed into her arms just a little , tightening his grip on her, and Willow could feel this indecent, indescribable sensation in the pit of her stomach. Every moment more he touched her, was another second too long. She could feel her shoulders begin to lean into his, her body overwhelmed with the incredible warmth he was giving off, his skin touching her skin made her entire body want to melt. Willow's tired eyes closed for only a moment, as she allowed her body to rest.

She felt a slight pull at her arms, and almost immediately she was on fire. Her skin began to ripple and bump as his hands grasped her tighter; pulling her closer. Willow felt her body lean into his, and without any hesitation, their lips met.

 _It didn't seem real._

Only moments after their lips met, Willow abruptly pulled away and covered her mouth, taking a large, stumbling fall backwards. The man had planted his palms onto his knees, steading himself for a moment as he brought his eyes up to meet hers, a wide grin spreading across his face.

The door to room abruptly opened, and the scene that Bruce Wayne stumbled onto, was chaotic.

" Five minutes. "

Bruce sighed in one hard breath, closing the door behind him and helping Willow to her feet. His demeanor was that of a father who'd left his children unsupervised for only a moment.

" H-he's going to be fine, he just needs some fluids and his blood sugar is low, " Willow paused, looking over her shoulder, " he's disoriented. "

" You eat every ten minutes, how-" Bruce trailed off, bringing up a free palm to calm his unnerved temples. He looked over to the man on the bed, and Willow could feel how much tension was in the room.

" I'll hook up an IV, he should be on his feet in an hour or two. "

Willow pushed a sudden, small smile, trying to deescalate the situation. Bruce looked over to her, staying silent. The expression on his face had begun to soften as he looked over to his friend.

Willow walked from Bruce and over to the medical bed. She was quick in her actions, gently pushing the disoriented man back down onto the medical bed before placing an IV into his arm.

She checked his vitals one more time, making sure everything was working properly before she retreated to the corner of the room, and sat down in a small chair.

Over the next hour she'd check on him, not understanding how any human could go through four saline bags in under an hour, but then again, this guy wasn't exactly human.

She changed the bag one last time before retreating to the corner of the room yet again, ready for this entire ordeal to be over. She let her head rest back against the wall behind her, fighting off the urge to fall asleep before eventually drifting off somewhere between three and four am.


	3. 003

Willow's head was spinning from the moment she sat down, to the moment she woke up. She felt her stomach turn onto itself as the fatigue and exhaustion finally hit her at once. Her eyes leered over to the unknown man on the medical bed, her vision darkening as she nodded off, just before the sun came up.

The world moved around her as she slept, her body too tired to care what was happening. Willow felt weightless as she slipped further and further from the living world.

" Mr. Wayne? "

An unsure voice spoke quietly, just barely catching Willow's ears. The tone was soft, and Willow could hear the gentle steps the man took, as he tried his absolute best to stay quiet. He spoke up again, this time speaking in such a low volume, that Willow couldn't make out what he was saying.

" Let her sleep Alfred, she deserves to rest. "

A gruff reply shot the soft voice down, easing Willow from her deep sleep. Her body remained still, as she tried her best to remain awake, unsure of where she was or who was around her. The two men were disagreeing about something as Willow began to slowly stir. Her head was throbbing and her body ached, but she knew she needed to get up and to move.

" Sir, it's nearly four pm, perhaps we should wake her. "

The soft voice grew more concerned, and the moment Willow heard the man's fading words, her eyes flashed awake. Her body was sore, and the more she moved the more she realized what an exhausted state she was still in. Willow groaned, trying to throw a heavy comforter off of her body while pushing her tired body off of the plush bedding.

Willow's body writhed and shook as she clumsily grabbed at anything she could get a good grip on. The room was filled with a warm, natural light, and Willow had to bring up a hand to shield her eyes from the sudden change in lighting. Unnerved and a little frightened, Willow stood up and fell to the floor, her feet becoming entangled in the layers of bedding and sheets underneath her.

" Willow, **calm down** , it's alright! "

A familiar deep voice caused her to recoil and take another long look around the room. She kicked her feet, freeing herself from the blankets, as she scuttled across the floor and from the looming presence just in front of her. Willow's head knocked against a wooden table, sending a sharp pain down her temple and jaw.

Her heart was pounding from her chest, as she fought hard to take in her surroundings. A firm hand grabbed onto her wrist, pulling her up and forwards.

Willow's eyes cracked open just slightly, her intense gaze sharpening just enough for her to see the outline of a shape in front of her. Reacting on fear and instinct, Willow pulled back an arm and cocked a hard fist forwards.

Willow's knuckles connected with some part of a person's face, sending an angry jolt of pain to shoot up her hand and through her wrist. Her bewildered eyes opened, frightened, as she tried to get a grasp on where she was. The lighting of the room became more bearable now, as a heavy rush of adrenaline shot through her body. She let her back rest against the hard, pearl textured wall behind her, as she realized the man whom she'd just struck was someone who was familiar to her.

Bruce Wayne was sitting just feet from her, his palms placed flat on the beautifully refinished tile floors that both of them rested on. He pulled up a hand and hesitantly rubbed the side of his face, grinding his jaw in the process, as he fully sat up to face her.

" Shall I fetch some ice, Master Wayne? "

The older man in a clean pressed suit shot a low quip at Bruce, who was still laying just across from Willow on the floor. A low, grumbling laugh escaped the man's chest. and he had to turn away, hiding his growing smile. Bruce shot him an annoyed look before speaking to Willow.

" You're at my home, Willow, just outside of Gotham. "

Bruce spoke, rubbing his jaw one last time, his deepening voice sounding more embarrassed than upset. He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his pants, he extended an empty palm to Willow.

Hesitantly, the confused doctor accepted the offer, letting Bruce pull her up off the floor.

Willow's chilled hands rested against a warm mug of coffee. Her eyes averted from Bruce's, as she tried to take everything in, not knowing how to process the night before or where she was now.

" How would you like your eggs, Ms. Hutchinson? "

A polite, prudent voice spoke from across the kitchen. Alfred, Bruce's sit in help, was offering her a varying breakfast selection, but honestly, she was too tired to eat. Her body ached from top to bottom and she was dreading her late evening shift that was growing closer and closer.

However she didn't want to be rude, she let her eyes lift from the table and peer across the very spacious kitchen nook. Alfred looked up from a wooden chopping board, where he was just finishing slicing some vegetables. He was an older man, maybe twenty years older than Bruce, but he seemed much younger in spirit. Willow finally gave in and let a hesitant smile crest her full lips.

" Anything you'd like to make me. "

Willow rested an elbow on the smooth, beautifully refinished marble countertop, and let her chin lean against an open palm.

" I must say, Mr. Wayne, it is nice to have a woman sleep over, and stay for breakfast. "

The corner of Willow's mouth crept up just slightly as she watched the older man shoot unwanted banter at Bruce. The batman himself was enjoying a hot cup of coffee just across the kitchen, trying his best to ignore Alfred, and carry on with his morning in peace. Willow sat quietly, her mind just beginning to finally unwind as she was remembering everything from the night before.

She'd fallen asleep at the hospital, she knew that much, but how had she been so out of her mind that she'd slept with someone carrying her, and moving her so much. Willow was still in her scrubs from the night before and was thankful that no one had gone as far as trying to change her clothes.

" I brought you here after I was sure Barry was alright, sometime before the sun came. "

Bruce spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, his eyes only matching with hers for a few fleeting, accidental seconds before breaking away. He was being as frank as possible and acting as though he had to abduct her for a specific purpose. He didn't stay in one place as he ate his meal or drank his coffee, and if Willow would have followed him around the kitchen, she'd of gotten sick.

" Why didn't you just leave me at the hospital? "

Willow's tone was not kind, and although she wasn't rude, Bruce still stared back at her a little shocked. Alfred had finished up breakfast and was unable to hide his brooding smile as he left the full plate of food in front of her.

" We need to talk about what happened in that room. "

Bruce looked on at her as he spoke, the intensity of his expression not lifting as he looked right through her. Willow's growing smile immediately began to fade away as her thought process began to overreact. What specific incident was Bruce talking about?

Was he talking about keeping his identity a secret, or maybe it had something to do with The Flash?

Willow's back stiffened as the past evening began to come back to her, she remembered missing the bus on purpose, fully intent on helping anyone who might be hurt. She remembered being thrust into saving a young man's life and trying to keep her sanity while the city block temporarily fell apart.

She remembered the man from the night before but had forgotten his name.

The apples of Willow's cheeks caught a quick flush, her lips parting just slightly, as she remembered something else.

The Flash had kissed her.

Was this it? Was this what Bruce wanted to talk to her about? About her temporary lapse in judgment or the fact that it was obviously a complete accident.

Willow's stomach turned and for a moment she felt the air leave her lungs. Her body began to overreact, as she went to the most embarrassing scenario. As she envisioned Bruce giving her a stern lecture on when to not kiss patients.

" Ms. Hutchinson, It's about keeping a tight confidentiality on my secret identity. "

Willow's eyebrows rose some as a wave of relief swept over her, and a new relieved smile crossed her face. She nodded, giving Bruce her full attention.

" I'd appreciate it if you didn't disclose my nightlife to anyone, and keep it just between us. "

Bruce seemed on edge, and Willow could tell that he was genuinely nervous. No matter what type of macho facade he was putting on, he was concerned.

" Well, you **abducted me** , forced me to save a complete stranger and then, again, abducted me and brought me to your home. " Willow 's face became much more serious as she spoke, but she couldn't keep up the act. As a small sigh escaped her lips, she nodded and finished off her coffee, reassuring him that she'd keep his secret safe.

" What you do in your free time is none of my business. "


	4. 004

Although Bruce was persistent that he could very easily get her out of her shift at the hospital that night, Willow knew that she needed to go in. She'd finished up eating and shortly after was escorted home in a private car that Alfred was kind enough to took her from the Wayne Mansion and to her small apartment downtown. She was still tired, needed a shower and some new clothes, but Willow was happy to get back to her version of normal.

She was still a little bitter about being abducted by a random man in the middle of the night, but she'd save that to throw in Bruce's face some other day.

" I know Bruce can seem a little, rigid, at times, but while you were asleep, he'd had nothing but good things to say about you. " Alfred stared at her from the driver's seat, his eyes catching hers for glimpses at a time as he looked into the rear-view window.

Bruce Wayne was famous in Gotham for his money and billionaire status. Willow faintly remembered seeing him on the cover of a tabloid, with at least two women under his arms. She wasn't sure who the real Bruce was. Whether it was the superhero who ran around at night, saving innocent people and protecting the city, or the rich playboy with a different woman for each day of the week, she wasn't sure. But, that last night she was sure she'd seen something genuine in him.

The 8-8 shift on a Friday would undoubtedly be hellish and hectic, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She wasn't even through the door when she was stopped by a familiar face. Meryl had spotted Willow from across the parking lot and had eagerly pushed her way through Doctors and patients alike to try and reach her friend. The redhead finally found Willow as she was leaving, rushing from her car and back into the hospital after Willow, she knew exactly where she was going.

Willow was almost tackled in the entry room of the ER. The petite doctor stumbled to a slow stop as Meryl grabbed her before she could disappear again.

" First of all, **how dare you**! " Meryl playfully pushed herself off of Willow as she spoke, her face looking more and more flushed as time progressed.

" You're best friends with Bruce Wayne now? "

Meryl spoke loudly enough that the patients in the waiting room of the ER were beginning to look at them, causing Willow to look around embarrassed.

" And you can't pick up your phone!? "

" Meryl. "

Willow spoke slowly and just above a whisper, looking around her as she did so. She knew that Meryl had just gotten off a grueling twelve-hour shift and was a little flighty, but she was drawing too much attention.

" Here I am, " Meryl was beginning to make a scene as she started using her hands to over exaggerate her emotions, "- thinking you're just overworking yourself at the hospital, but in all actuality, you're 'spending time' with Bruce Wayne in the celebrity suite. "

Meryl's volume dropped but her tone did not, and Willow was still unsure how angry the female doctor was.

" I mean, " Meryl's voice trailed off again, this time losing its strength, " you're so cool! "

Meryl got closer to Willow as she spoke, and the moments he declared her happiness in finding Willow with Bruce, she began to smile.

" Like are you two a thing, how long have you known each other, are you secretly hooking up in the celebrity suite-Because that would probably be the craziest thing ever, I'm so jealous. "

In one breath Meryl had gotten so much out and Willow wasn't quite sure how to respond.

Willow brought up her hands and gripped her friend's arms tightly, assuring her for only a few moments. She smiled at Meryl and answered her in one, quick sentence.

" I have to go to work. "

Meryl's face dropped in expression as Willow quickly rushed from the waiting room and into the hospital.

 **Everything was back to normal.**

Willow was so busy she could barely think, and any few moments she did get to herself, she was thinking about eating something or sleeping. It was an endless cycle, but tonight was her last night in this rotation, and soon she'd be faced with three days off.

" Willow? "

The tired doctor was resting her back against a free wall while eating a candy bar and flipping through a patient's chart. Her name had to be called another two times before she realized that she was being summoned. Her grey and black scrubs were splashed with a variety of stains and the dark circles under her eyes were enough to ward away almost any sane person, but the young nurse had a message for her.

" You have a visitor. "

The nurse had her hands full and had to motion to the hallway using her head before quickly disappearing. Willow looked on at the nurse with concern, not leaving the support of the wall until her snack was finished. She set the patient's clip chart down on a nearby counter and quickly turned the corner, almost knocking into a patient.

Willow's shoulder knocked against a man, causing her to stretch out and grab for anything she could. A quick hand reached out, grasping one of her forearms and helping her steady her balance.

" I am- **so** sorry about that! "

A man's voice grabbed her attention as she steadied her feet and took back her arm. Willow's bright green eyes looked up and managed to catch a glimpse of the man she'd accidentally bumped into.

' No... '

Willow's mouth gaped just slightly, her startled expression deepening into a petrified scowl, as she recognized the man who had just happened to bump into her.

The man was in his twenties and had shoulder length jet-black hair. His round golden eyes looked at her intently, as though he was trying to figure out who she was. Willow noticed in the bright light of the hall that he was the same wholesomely handsome man from last night.

Willow's face reddened as she took in more details about him. He was almost half a foot taller than her and was wearing a white button-up shirt with a casual black zip-up over it. His hair was half up and half down, and Willow felt her heart fall into her stomach, as his face inched just a little closer to hers.

"Could you help me, I'm actually looking for someone here, a Dr. Hutchinson. "

The man looked genuinely concerned and Willow's pale skin flushed even further as she realized he didn't even recognize who she was.

The man standing in front of her was the man from last night; The Flash.

" That's me. "

Willow weakly smiled. Nervously, she bit her bottom lip for a moment, before forcing a reassuring smile.

Unfortunately, she'd forgotten the man's name, but that didn't stop her from being friendly. She watched unapologetically as he began to realize that she was a female doctor and not a man. He was visibly uncomfortable, and the lax expression on his face began to tighten and change.

" I just wanted to say thank you for-," The man paused, holding in a soft sigh, " for everything, just thank you. "

Willow's smile was contained, and the man in front of her was clearly very uncomfortable with her for some reason, maybe the **same** reason she was so uncomfortable.

" Dr. Hutchinson, " a nurse called down the call, paging the doctor to help her in a patients room.

" I have to go. "

Willow looked behind the man, and down the hall, casually walking by him and flashing him one last smile. She could feel her heart drop into her stomach as her chest tightened. She couldn't tell if she was disappointed or nervous, but she knew this was best. If she spent any more time talking to him, she'd likely say something she'd regret.

" Could I take you out for coffee?! "

The man practically screamed down the hall, causing Willow's feet to stop prematurely and for her entire body to pivot. She knew she had to look shocked, and without much time to hide her expression, she faced him.

The man realized that he'd just yelled in a hospital, and nearly every nurse on the floor was either eyeing Willow or glaring at him. She watched as he took a few large steps to her, trying to rush what he needed to say.

" I just, " The man pursed his lips together for a moment before finally finding the words his mind seemed to be searching for.

" I want to thank you, somehow. "

The rational part of her mind wanted to say no.

This man was a super-human. He was brash, a little strange and wasn't the type of guy she knew would work out for her. But, Willow's heart answered for her, before her mind could rationalize why she shouldn't.

" I'm off at eight tomorrow morning. "

Willow spoke quietly, her eyes catching the gawking stares from the rest of the staff. A warm smile began to catch her lips as she silently reassured him. The man noticed her smile and gave her one in return.

" My name's Barry, by the way, Barry Allen. "

Willow had tried to take the extra time to look like a half decent person, but she was sleep deprived and had been thrown for a loop the past few days. She'd helped save a meta-human and woke up at a stranger's home, so by no means had she felt well rested. She stared at herself for a moment in the mirror of the ladies room at the hospital, delicately touching the dark circles beginning to form under her eyes. She shook off the anxiety and pulled the elastic from her hair, trying her best to tame her changing waves. Willow eventually changed into her civilian clothes and left, knowing that she'd never really been satisfied with how she looks.

She left the E.R and noticed Barry standing just outside the doors to the entrance of the hospital. She paused for a moment, trying to hide an underlying, unnerving feeling she had in her gut. She clutched her shoulder bag just a little bit tighter as she walked up and past the automatic doors, catching Barry by surprise.

Barry had a welcoming smile on his face to greet her, and the moment she spoke to him, she could feel her stress and anxiety melt away. Barry had an energy to him, and Willow could feel herself being pulled to it. Every kind smile or nervous remark put her more and more at ease.

Meryl was coming in for her last shift of the week and had happened to see them leaving together. An event she would never let Willow live down, as the amped-up doctor was insistent with poking at her, asking who this mystery man was and if she was cheating on Bruce. Willow eventually turned off her phone and promised to deal with Meryl's endless questions later.

Their conversation was light and easy, which was everything Willow had wanted. Her brain was tired from taking care of the couple dozen people that had come through tonight, so easy questions were her favorite.

Barry came through on his promise, the coffee from the cafe, which was just a few blocks from her home, was wonderful. Barry seemed comfortable talking to her, and she couldn't tell if he was just being nice, was a little nervous, or maybe he was interested in her, but either way, Barry was great company.

" Why Gotham, " Barry asked her an innocent question, letting her finish her first cup of coffee before she answered.

" You seem like a Metropolis kind of girl. "

Barry grinned at her, clearly poking at, what she could guess, was her kind demeanor. She tilted her head a little and lightly bit her bottom lip, thinking for a few more moments.

" I like helping people, and I mean Metropolis has Superman, Central City has **The Flash** , " Willow let a shallow smile show as she looked at him for a moment. " Maybe Batman needs a little more help. I just feel like I can make a difference here. "

She trailed off towards the end of her sentence, shrugging her shoulders. She'd never really said it out loud. Gotham was gritty and had the highest death rate of any city in their area, but Willow picked it above the rest. She wanted to help, and this city desperately needed it. Her job paid well, but that was because Doctors in Gotham didn't last. Help the wrong person, and you could get yourself shot.

" What about you, what do you do? "

Willow changed the subject from herself and to him, trying to not be too eager as she asked a basic question about him. Barry paused, and Willow looked down at the table, not noticing how many different coffees Barry had consumed in the half hour they'd been sitting there. He was eating quite a bit as well, which raised more questions, but those would have to wait.

" I-well, I work for CCPD. " Barry's smile broadened and Willow could hear a small amount of pride in his voice, " I work at the crime lab there. "

" I would ask how you manage both jobs, but.. "

Willow smiled, her tired eyes catching a small hint of playfulness as she watched Barry's serious expression melt away. He used a free hand, nervously rubbing it against the thickening hair along his jaw as he smiled wholesomely at her.

" Yeah, about that, " Barry trailed off some, his relaxed posture beginning to stiffen.

Willow leaned into the table just slightly, her expression becoming more serious as she watched Barry look more and more uncomfortable.

Had she pressed him too far?

' fucking sarcasm '

Willow's brows furrowed some as she began to internally scream at herself for being so casual with a man she barely knew. A man who was a superhero over an entire city and was part of a police department. She felt more and more uncomfortable the longer the silence lasted, and without realizing it, he leaned over the table too. The two of them looked as though they were about to share something very private.

Willow couldn't help the disruptive thoughts that kept popping into her head, it had been a while since she'd had this type of sit-down style companionship, and Willow was sure that she was just annoying him.

This is where he tells you ' thanks for the help, but I'm too busy saving a city, to keep sitting here with you. '

But the rude comment never came. In fact, Barry seemed more interested in what she was saying.

Gotham's normally hard exterior was softened for a few moments, as warm rays of light filtered through the glass window near them, illuminating Barry's striking facial features and his honey brown eyes. He rested an arm on the table in front of her, letting his weight lean against the table as he inched closer to her.

Willow felt a hard, uncomfortable lump form in her throat. She tried to ignore it, but the smaller the gap between them became, the more her body began to tense up. Her full lips parted just slightly, as her fingers nervously pressed into her lap.

Barry's eyes widened for a moment as he licked his bottom lip and hesitated to speak. He looked at her a little bewildered, as he spoke in an absurdly quiet tone.

" Did I , " Barry moved his hands around, nervously trying to finish what he wanted to say, " kiss you, last night? "

Barry questioned her, but the way he spoke sounded unsure. He looked on expecting her to laugh or question him, but in return he got silence.

It took Willow a moment to process what Barry had just said, but by the time she did, her face had begun to redden, and her gaze shifted from his.

Barry brought up his hands for a moment and put his face into his palms. Willow smiled uncomfortably as she tried her absolute best not to laugh. It was so incredibly refreshing to see him feeling the same way she did.

Their brief uncomfortable silence was cut short, as a familiar face popped into the cafe' and interrupted their embarrassing flashback.

" **Hal.** "


	5. 005

It was her introductory week at Gotham Med. when she'd gotten her first real fatality. A young man had come in with a bullet hole in his shoulder, and he was bleeding out onto a gurney. She'd dealt with her fair share of bullet wounds, but this young man was different.

His skin was sullen, and his eyes were dark and shrunken. His body was on the verge of dying, and Willow was speechless. There were two doctors running the floor with her and only a handful of nurses. She was overwhelmed and frightened, not knowing what to do with this half-dead young man, whose body refused to stop bleeding.

He looked at her as though she was the only thing in the room that could save him.

He was handsome and young, and as much as she tried to focus on saving him, her eyes would find themselves peering up from time to time and looking into his. That wide, unnerving stare that he refused to break, began to wear down on her. For long moments at a time, she'd notice him not blink at all, and was sure that he was dead.

The bullet hadn't gone through the man's shoulder and was caught in a bed of nerves, leaving Willow the option of gutting out the bullet or trying to stop the bleeding.

There were people screaming from outside her room, bombarding her with questions, yelling at her to let a nurse handle him and to help other patients that might really need her.

" He's another Gotham thug, Dr. Hutchinson, "

A voice from behind her tried to dull her interest in saving the young man's life, reasoning that she should leave him to bleed out on the table, rather than save him based on a generality.

She was angry and disgusted, but she needed to focus.

The wound wouldn't stop bleeding, and as Willow finally extracted the bullet, she watched his complexion completely wash out and his body go limp.

There was blood soaking through her gloved hands and staining the skin on her forearms. Willow's bottom lip quivered just slightly as she felt a terrifying wave of fear sweep down her spine. There was no one for her to grab to ask for assistance, no one to call for help.

She swallowed hard and had that first real reaction to a person flatlining in front of her, a situation that would either end her career or cause her to excel to a new level of experience.

Willow's tired body acted on his own as she fell from her paralyzing stupor and back into her body. She sutured the wound and quickly brought a crash cart over to the side of the patient's bed. His body jumped four different times before Willow managed to revive him.

The moment his heart finally began to jump on the monitor, his lungs screamed for air and his body practically leaped from the gurney. Willow's body would have fallen back onto the hospital floor if the young man hadn't latched onto her first.

Hal Jordan almost died that night, and so did Willow's career as a doctor, but somehow both of them had made it out alive. She'd stayed in the room with him the following day as he recovered, not caring that her shift was over or that she was tired beyond means.

She was empathetic when she shouldn't have been, having such deep-rooted feelings for the well-being of patients was frowned upon. Especially in Gotham. Hal recovered and she hadn't seen him since those few days he'd spent in intensive care, but she hadn't forgotten his face.

The conversation between Willow and Barry had become a little uncomfortable, but under the surface, she was happy he'd addressed the fact that he'd kissed her. After all, embarrassingly enough, that was all she had been able to think about for the last day or so. Willow looked up for a moment as a person approached their table and paused.

Hal Jordan had stopped for just a moment, giving a brief nod to Barry as Willow accidentally let his name slip from her lips, complicating their conversation further.

" Hal Jordan. "

Willow's tired eyes softened just a little, as she remembered treating the young man who couldn't have been much younger than she was. His brooding expression lifted as his eyes met hers, and a genuine smile crossed his lips.

"You're the Dr. From Gotham Med, right? "

Willow's stomach tightened as her weak smile grew, a small amount of bemusement fell over her face as she realized that she'd remembered Hal's name, but he hadn't remembered hers. Which was very normal, but for some reason, Willow had expected a little more.

Barry let a somewhat confused look pass over his face as he glanced over to Willow. Uncertain how Willow or Hal knew each other, Barry would get his explanation shortly.

" You're a ways from home Barry. "

Barry's face managed to pull away from Willow's direction as he addressed Hal's question.

" Yeah, I came by to visit a-friend. "

Barry's words came out a little unnatural and were spaced out some, as though he was having trouble deciding what this meet and greet was, which made Willow more nervous. Willow looked at him and her brows furrowed, she wasn't sure if they were friends or not, but he was not having the best luck striking up a conversation with her.

" Hal's from Coast City, he's helped me and Bruce out a few times. "

Hal's expression dropped some as he eyed Barry, unsure if he was referring to their regular day-to-day lives or something more super.

" It was nice seeing you again, " Hal looked over to Willow, giving her a wholesome smile before nodding to Barry, " I'll see you around. "

Hal left the coffee shop, and Willow and Barry had a choice to either continue their conversation or steer it elsewhere. Willow's train of thought would be interrupted as Barry's cell phone went off and shook against the solid tabletop.

Barry didn't answer a call, but the moment he looked at the alert on its screen, Willow knew their little meeting would be over. His eyes looked worriedly at the alert, and with a soft sigh he abruptly got up from the table.

Willow's tired body rose from the stiff coffee house chair slowly, as she stood up, watching Barry hurridly put the phone in his pocket. He pushed some of his loose long locks behind his ears and brought up his alluring brown eyes to meet with hers.

" Thank you, again. "

As Barry spoke a reassuring smile passed over his lips and she could tell that he was genuinely thankful that she had helped him.

" Anytime. "

Willow spoke quietly, her tired eyes taking one last look at Barry Allen, before he quietly excused himself and left.


	6. 006

Everything that had happened with Barry and Bruce seemed to fade, as weeks went by and Willow began to fall back into her normal life of Gotham homicides and the occasional drunk driver. She'd think about everything that had happened, and wouldn't realize how much she'd enjoyed helping them. She'd been part of something bigger than herself.

It was a beautiful evening, and around eight at night when she'd finally gotten out, she'd decided to skip the bus and walk home.

The sun was low and within the next few hours, only a few warm colors would fill the sky as darkness overcame Gotham.

" Careful getting home luv'. "

Meryl playfully blew a kiss to Willow as she left the waiting room of the ER. The drowsy doctor stopped for a moment, just outside the hospital's automatic opening doors and looked back at her red-haired colleague.

Willow let a small playful smile grace her face, as she blew a casual kiss back at her friend.

" Tell Bruce I said hello. "

Meryl managed to shoot a small, backhanded comment at her friend as she disappeared through a pair of hospital doors. Willow's relaxed demeanor immediately changed to annoyed as she walked through the doors, exiting the hospital.

In late August, Gotham was more bearable, more optimistic. There were full blooming trees all along the sidewalks and although the air was thicker with the heat of the sun, there was a beautiful, mild breeze to go along with it.

Willow let her focus wane as a fresh push of air caught her off guard, bringing with it a soft flowery scent and a relaxing warmth. She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes, letting her anxiety and pent-up frustration wash away with the breeze.

The bus stop was just minutes away, so for the moment, she'd let the sweet scent of the late-blooming lilacs and this brief moment of stillness, brush against her. She stepped off the curb, almost a quarter mile from the hospital, just in time for an oncoming bus to clip her shoulder.

Willow's eyes closed for just a moment, as her tired body calmly walked forward. Her reaction time was heavily delayed and had led to her being careless with traffic. A mistake she wouldn't be able to undo, as just feet from the Bus striking her, a loud horn blasted past her weary frame. Her brilliant green eyes lifted from the comforting fog they'd been put into, as a full-blown panic overwhelmed her.

Willow's body tensed as her world faded around her for a few moments, her vision distorting to a dull dark before beginning to let light in. Her stomach turned over onto herself as her lungs screamed for air.

Willow quickly took in a deep breath and expelled it just as fast, her chest was on fire, as she felt like the wind had been knocked from her lungs. She felt her arms and torso visibly tremble as the light began to come back into her vision, and she realized she was safe and unharmed.

The bus that had blasted through the intersection where Willow just was, had continued to blare its horn further down the busy street. Willow's wide, bewildered eyes took time to adjust to everything that had happened as her brain was going a mile a minute. She was on the opposite end of the street, on the sidewalk. Safe.

" It's alright-hey-hey, " A low voice shook from a man in front of her, he continued to speak, trying to calm the shaking young doctor, as her brain was still processing how she should have just died.

" Willow, " The same voice, but this time, it grabbed at her soul and pulled her back into herself.

" You're okay, " The voice, Barry's voice, was the sound that finally broke through.

Her frightened expression had caused him to overreact, he brought up both of his hands and grabbed at the sides of her arms, pulling her closer to him. Willow had brought up her hands, placing her palms flat against the chest plate to Barry's suit.

Willow looked up, expecting to see him, but instead, she was face to face with The Flash. Barry was in his red savior uniform, his figure towering over hers. He looked down at her, taking in her distraught features, causing his normal wide toothy smile, to become hidden behind a thin, concerned expression. He hunched his shoulders slightly, letting his body close in on hers, causing Willow to look even closer at the detail in his suit.

The smooth crimson metal of Barry's suit was held together with a black material, adorned with small knicks, scratches and wear and tear. A minute passed by and Willow's hard, shallow breaths began to steady and become more regular. The tips of her fingers pressed against the breastplate to his suit, it's smooth, durable surface not wavering to her tight hold.

Barry's expression deepened, looking less bright and more troubled, as Willow's eyes began to involuntarily water, her emotions beginning to get the best of her. Barry licked his bottom lip, as his lips parted, still unsure what he was supposed to say to help her.

Willow was too focused on her body having a panic attack to notice Barry's complete unwavering concern for her well being. His grip on her arms tightened, and his eyes focused on every detail about her, from the tears brimming her eyes to the sound of her heartbeat, he took everything in.

Eventually, Willow's body began to take in the sounds of the city around her, easing her back into the reality she knew. Sirens, trucks and people, the sounds of the city is what eased her from her endless fear. Barry's comforted her the best way he could as Willow began to come back to life.

"Look, It's The Flash!? "

A pedestrian screamed at Willow and Barry, causing her to realize where she was. Willow's hands left Barry's body, causing him to loosen his grip on her.

" Barry.. "

Willow spoke quietly, her body still trying to find its strength. She looked on a little confused, still unsure why he'd been here just in time to save her, or why he'd risk being seen with her, even if he was in his suit.

" You're alright. "

Barry's flushed features could only be seen from his nose down, the mask on his face concealing most of his identity. His brow furrowed slightly, and Willow could see the concern in his eyes.

She nodded and blinked again, still in disbelief of what had just happened.

Willow hadn't noticed the few people who had stopped to look at them or the smartphones that had been pulled out, snapping photos of Central City's masked savior. Barry cleared his throat and bent down to her level for a moment, speaking quickly.

" I have to get out of here before I become a spectacle, "

Barry spoke quickly as his words trailed off for a moment. Willow looked up at him and shook her head, understanding his need to leave.

" T-thank you, Barry.. " Willow said again, not realizing she wasn't censoring herself when talking about The Flash's identity. She took a small step back from Barry, letting him know that it was fine for him to leave. He'd just saved her life, the last thing she needed was for him to be put onto the cover of some Gotham Tabloid.

" No, no, " Barry spoke, shaking his head and bringing up a gloved hand, " What's your address? "

A few seconds paused between Willow's reply and Barry's question. She looked up at him a little confused, not understanding that he wasn't going to speed away until he was sure she was going to be fine.

Her brows furrowed and her lips gaped just slightly as she thought for a moment, still a little fatigued by everything had just happened. Willow spoke quietly, her heart finally catching up with her mouth.

" 511, West Plains. "

Barry moved closer to her, and in one statement he spoke to her, " Hold your breath. "

Barry reached forwards, giving her just a fraction of time to ready herself, before he disappeared off, taking Willow with him.

Willow's vision blurred, causing her nausea to return in full force. By the time they stopped, she was sure she was going to be sick. Barry held her for a moment, as Willow's unstable knees shook trying to hold the weight of her body.

Her breaths were sharp and quick, immediately bringing an ease to the sickness in her gut and letting her feel more like herself. She stood on her own and pushed away from Barry, coughing and trying to catch her footing.

The sky behind them was painted in sharp pink and orange hues as the darkness above Gotham began to settle in. The streetlight above them began to emit an angry hum as electricity flickered through its bulbs. Gotham was winding down from its busy, sunny day and rising into its equally hustling nightlife.

Willow looked up at Barry from an arms reach away, and the Crimson Speedster stayed silent, letting Willow sort out her emotions.

" Barry, "

Willow's voice cracked as she tried to give strength to her words.

" You don't have to thank-"

Barry was interrupted by Willow, who was both thankful and equally interested on how he was at the right place at the right time.

" Are you following me? "

Willow's blunt question caused the expression visible on Barry's face, to appear concerned and guilty, as though he already knew the answer to that question.

" Listen, so it's not **entirely** as creepy as it sounds, "

Barry started his rebuttal but was interrupted by Willow's hollow laughter. She brightly smiled at him and laughed as he tried to seriously explain why he'd been in the right place, at the right time.

"It was Bruce's idea, " Barry tried to give strength to his reasoning and eventually Willow began to settle down.

" It's not all the time, just this one time. "

Barry looked panicked and Willow decided to let him be.

" Thank you. "

Willow spoke and the side of her mouth arched just slightly. Barry looked a little more relaxed but was still nervous.

" Y-yeah-yeah, no problem. If you need anything, just call. "

Barry made a phone gesture with his right hand using his thumb and pinky finger, making him look a little dorky. He looked at his own hand and realized what he was doing and let his arm drop to his side, a little defeated.

Willow nodded, pursing her lips as she eventually let a wide smile grace her face.

Barry hesitated for a moment, taking Willow in one last time before speeding away, leaving a flurry of wind and blue electricity behind.


	7. 007

It was a little bizarre for him to even consider Willow as someone who might be interested in him. It's not that Barry ever really thought of himself as ugly or unworthy, but girls like her wouldn't be interested in a guy like him.

 **Barry had baggage.** He was a kid when his mother was murdered in front of him and his father had been wrongfully accused of killing her. Leaving him without parents to rely on for most of his adult life, but through everything, he'd made ends meet.

A friend of his father had taken him in and helped raise him, giving him the closest version of normal, he could. But still, Barry was different than everyone else. Where there were events for parents to come and support their children, Joe would always do his best to come through, and Barry appreciated that. There was still a piece missing from him that no amount of comfort or distance could fill. For that, he was always a little offputting and strange.

His sense of humor was warped and he didn't have his life **as together** as any twenty-seven-year-old man should. He'd been drifting for a while, and for a short time, Bruce had helped him begin to crawl out of his hole. Giving him advice and making sure to keep in contact here and there, all while having a meeting with him and the rest of The League on occasion, Barry had begun to fall back down, **again**.

The job that he'd gotten at CCPD had helped, he'd managed to take some online classes to finish his degree and professionally was doing well, but anything outside of that had gotten more complicated.

The man from the night his mother had died, the man in yellow, had decided to show himself at one of the most difficult times in Barry's life, sending him further into a spiral. Another speedster had shown up in a black suit as well, making things more confusing.

Bruce had decided to step in, only after he'd noticed Barry's personality change and because Central City's headlines were getting darker. Barry was less present and other metahumans had noticed and were wreaking havoc on the population.

Since the night that she'd had coffee with him, Barry had been torn between trying to start up some kind of weird friendship with her or simply leaving her be. As much as he'd like to just stay in Central City and let their one meeting be the end of it, he couldn't.

Bruce had suggested that if he was that worried about her, he could keep a watch and at the very least, make sure she got home safe. To which Barry was quick to point out that was technically stalking. Bruce was much more optimistic, pointing out how dangerous Gotham was after sundown.

" Just don't be weird about it, Barry. " Bruce's only advice that day was vague and Barry had a hard time not mocking the bat vigilante for telling him to not be out of the ordinary.

But he understood what he meant.

He'd come to the hospital a few times and after walking through the entrance to the lower lobby, had walked right back out. Unsure how to even start a conversation with her that didn't start with, " Hey, remember me? The stranger who kissed you!? Good times. "

He wasn't confident in his ability to swoon a beautiful doctor, or his ability to stay unnoticed, so he'd agreed to get the courage to speak to her and maybe ask her out for another cup of coffee. That last conversation had gone well, so why wouldn't another.

He'd had all day to think of things to say, but the most he could come up with was inappropriate topics like death or some form of mortality. Willow was a doctor though, maybe her sense of humor would be catered to something like that?

The small backend of a warehouse that he'd decided to turn into his home, was completely dark until Barry flicked on one switch to the room, to which instantly every monitor, light, and device, turned on all at once.

No one waited home for him here, and with his busy life, maybe it was better that way.

The plan to shower and dress semi-acceptable quickly went out the door, as the police scanner in his place began to blare loudly, alerting him to a robbery in progress and multiple other crises that were happening in Central City.

Barry's lips pursed together as his body stood motionless in the doorway to his place, he hadn't even gotten a moment to prepare for a meeting with Willow, that he was already thinking about abandoning, and the city needed him. He looked down at his watch, counting for a moment and rationalizing how he could make it to Gotham within the next hour and possibly catch her and ask her out as friends.

He'd quickly taken care of the robbery and petty criminals that were tampering with his time frame of getting to Gotham, still unsure how to spark the conversation with her.

'Coffee as friends,' sounded strange, but so did, " Drinks as friends or friendly drinks. '

There wouldn't be a great way to ask her out to have a beverage or anything else without making it uncomfortable for her, or without making it sound like he was asking her out on a date.

Barry had managed to make it to Gotham just before seven, he hadn't had time to discard his crimson Flash costume somewhere safe and had planned to casually walk up to her and ask her to have a drink with him.

The late summer's heat was waning and as a hard, warm breeze pushed through the busy streets of Gotham, Barry could feel a little optimism come over him.

What if he did ask her out?

What would be the worst that could happen?

'She could say no, maybe dramatically slap him for kissing her or something worse; **laugh**? '

Barry's thoughts had begun to get the best of him and he began to feel unsure about being here in the first place. He'd stopped just outside Gotham Med, his body frozen still as second thoughts paced viciously through his mind, he stood for a moment, unseen and unsure until he saw her.

Willow walked from the Hospital's entrance and abruptly stopped.

Barry's lungs cramped as his chest tightened, his eyes unable to leave Willow the moment they found her. His lips parted just slightly, as words formed in his head, his mind going a mile a minute as he realized how heavy his heart was.

Her mid-back length hair was loose and fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and she wasn't wearing scrubs or hospital gear. Her body was dressed in a pretty blouse that showed some of her shoulders and neck, while her legs were covered in dark colored jeans. She didn't seem to of stopped for any reason in particular, but the moment Barry watched a hard breeze push past her and run across her hair and clothes, he realized she was just simply enjoying the moment.

Her smile was warm and comforting, and just seeing it made a light in him spark. It was a surreal feeling to feel when you'd felt so distant and absent for so long. He knew that her presence alone was enough to pull him to her and that her smile was bright and warm like the sun. His hands had formed into tight fists as his knuckles turned white from the pressure. He **needed** to talk to her, he'd been worried that the courage to ask had been lost but here it was, bubbling to the surface, growing stronger, more certain with every moment he looked at her.

He took a deep breath, his body frozen still for a moment as Willow's body relaxed into the late afternoon haze. Her light green eyes reflected the sun and caught his for a moment, but quickly looked away, as she turned and finally moved off the curb she was standing on.

An uncomfortable nudge pulsed in the back of Barry's mind as his meta-human senses heightened and everything slowed around him for a moment. His eyes scanned everything in his view, his stomach turned over onto itself as he finally found what his body was demanding his attention for. Sparks of white-hot electricity flew around him as he watched Willow step off the curb and directly in front of an oncoming Bus.

The horn to the bus blared as Barry's body had already left the hidden spot he'd been perched at, it's sound echoed loudly and vibrated the air that Barry ran through. He let his hands grasp Willow's body pulling her from the path of the bus and narrowly stopping just across the street, safe from the busy Gotham traffic.

Barry's arms fell from their tightly wrapped position, his gloved hands faltering to Willow's upper arms, where they stayed. His concerned eyes didn't leave her for a moment as he watched her body adjust to just being pulled from a near-death moment.

His brow furrowed further as it seemed to take her almost a whole minute to decompress and become aware of her surroundings.

" Barry. "

Her voice had no strength and strained to be heard. Her lips hung open and he could see the raw emotion in her expression. He could feel her body quiver and tremble for seconds at a time and stop; she was completely terrified.

" You're alright. "

Barry reassured her, nervously licking his dry lips as he tried to think of anything else he could say that would convince her that she was going to be okay. He wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Pedestrians had taken out phones and snapped photos of the two of them, causing Barry to look up with a semi-disgruntled expression, not appreciating how little they were regarding their privacy or the fact that Willow was unharmed.

" Look, It's the Flash!"

Someone shouted, and within seconds of hearing his tabloid name, Willow began to calm down. Barry focused on her, her metahuman abilities picking up on her slowing heart rate and watching as her face began to gain some color.

" Willow, you alright? "

Barry spoke in a hushed voice, his eyes leering at her and to the growing crowd around them. Willow looked up at him, her bright green eyes seemed nervous and uncertain. The longer she looked at him the more flushed his face grew and soon he knew that if they didn't leave, his skin would match the color of his suit.

" I have to get out of here before I become a spectacle, "

Barry spoke quickly as his words trailed off for a moment. Willow looked up at him and shook her head, understanding his need to leave.

" T-thank you, Barry.. "

Her voice shook as she spoke, alerting him to how startled she still was.

" No, no, " Barry trailed off, " What's your address? "

The last thing he needed was her getting in danger again or one of these skeezy tabloid photographers chasing her down.

A few seconds paused between Willow's reply and Barry's question. She looked up at him a little confused, not understanding that he wasn't going to speed away until he was sure she was going to be fine.

Her brows furrowed and her lips gaped just slightly as she thought for a moment, still a little fatigued by everything had just happened. Willow spoke quietly, her heart finally catching up with her mouth.

" 511, West Plains. "

Barry moved closer to her, and in one statement he spoke to her, " Hold your breath. "

Barry reached forwards, giving her just a fraction of time to ready herself, before he disappeared off, taking Willow with him.

Barry wrapped a secure hand around her waist and shoulder, pulling her close to him as he sped from the busy Gotham street and to somewhere safe.

Willow's body was close to his now. Her golden colored hair was blown from her shoulders and fell down to her midback. Barry's arms loosened some from her body his eyes closing for a moment as a hard brush of wind blew a faint coconut smell from her hair and against his face.

" Barry, "

Willow spoke under her breath, her eyes coming up to find his.

" Y-you don't have to thank - "

Barry didn't want her to feel obligated to thank her, but the moment he spoke, WIllow's face began to twist.

" Are you following me, Barry? "

Barry's stomach turned onto itself for a moment as he immediately began to think of all of the deep conversations he'd had with Bruce about Willow. Barry's lips parted slightly, his thought process not completely sure what he was going to say to her question.

" It's not **entirely** as creepy as it sounds. "

Barry's sheepish grin made her start to laugh and he wasn't sure if she was angry or amused.

" It was Bruce's idea, " Barry panicked, his voice picking up speed, " It was only one time, "

" Thank you. "

Willow interrupted his train of thought, her worried face beginning to soften the more he spoke. The corner of her mouth inched up slightly, watching Barry writhe in confusion.

" Y-yeah-yeah, no problem. If you need anything, just call. "

Barry could feel his heart pound from his chest as he nervously pulled his hand up to his ear in the motion of a phone. A gesture that he soon realized was embarrassing and ridiculous.

But it made her smile.

Willow's shallow grin broke out into a full-blown smile showing all of her perfectly aligned teeth and letting him see her, the real her, for a brief moment.

Barry hesitated to leave for a moment, his lanky arms and legs fumbling around as he left her in a fleurry of wind and blue electricity, completely sure of one thing that had stayed on his mind since the moment he just saw it.

He loved making her smile.


End file.
